Elevator



'r. H. ,1. SIMMONS ELEVATOR Aug. 10, 1926. 1,595,124

Filed July 26, 192:: s sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 10 1926.

T. H. J. SIMMONS ELEVATOR Filed July 26 1923 NVENTOR' ZNEWMW- Flnorwn BY Ad Aug. 10 1926. 1,595,124

T. H. .1. SIMMONS ELEVATQR Filed July 26, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 4% MM fimvemboz 92313 abhor/mea Patented Aug. 10, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS H. J. SIMMONS, 01' LONDON ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR T OTIS ELEVATOR COM- PART, OF NEW YORK, N; Y.

ELEVATOR.

Application filed July 26, 1928, Serial No. 058,858, and in Great Britain November 27, 1929.

This invention relates to elevators and the like, and hasfor an object to provide mechanism-for obtaining a reduced speed of the car or the like at determined positions in its travel, in order to ensure an exact stop at the required point ,or to provide a slow movement for correcting "the stop.

The invention is particularly applicable to electrically operated elevators controlled for example by push-buttons, and can be incorporated in machines of designs requiring the use of only a single motor which need not be of variabl speed pattern.

According to this invention, I provide between the motor and the driven member of the lifting gear or e uivalent, a supplementary reducing gear w ich is normally locked to provide a solid drive but can be brought into operation to afford a reduced s eed by disenga 'ng the locking device an simultaneous y arresting one of the elements of this gear mechanism. 7 1

The invention has also for an object to provide electromagnetic means for controlling the operation of the supplementary re ducing gear by the energization of a brake magnet and a clutch magnet. determined by a levelling switch mounted on the car or the like.

The supplementary reducing gear, which consists'preferably of an epicylic mechanism, is so arranged that on the indirect drive, the driven member'receives a slow speed it, for example one-twelfth of the speed of the driving shaft or motor. Consequently when the slow speed is substituted for the direct drive, the momentum of the lift car and connected parts will be reduced very considerably; this renders it comparatively easy to obtain an accurate landing, the car passing under the sole charge of the levelling switch which breaks the circuit at the correct moment to produce a level stop.

The invention is hereafter described with.

connections for the application of the invention to an elevator having the full automatic push button. system of control, and operated by a single speed direct curren mot0r..

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the shaft a of the electric motor M is shown by way of example as being directly connected b the coupling a to an intermediate shaft fitted with a key b on which is slidably mounted the male cone 0 of a friction clutch; a s ring (1 bearing at one end against the oss c of the cone and at the other end against an abutment d normally maintains this cone in engagment with a corresponding cone surface e upon the interior of a brake drum f. This drum is shown as the ordinary electromagnetic brake, around which the usual brake shoes 9 are provided, with their actuating levers h operated by an electromagnet i, the energization of which increases the brake in the well known manner.

The spring d can be adjusted to regulate the pressure u n the cone 0 by rotating the nut d in relation to the shaft b upon which the abutment is mounted. This abutment engages the key I) so as to be slidable along the shaft 6, and its outer surface is provided with screw threads to engage the interior of the nut d. Thus the rotation of the nut will advance or retract the abutment, and vary the compression of the spring, which can be locked as required by means of a set-screw d holding the parts d d in relation to one another.

The brake drum f instead of being secured to the intermediate shaft b, is connected by a key f to a sleeve concentric with the shaft and formin t e extended hub of a sun gear is contained in a stationary housing I. The intermediate shaft 6 passes through the sleeve j and sun gear 70, and its projecting extremity b carries a disc or spider m on which are'mounted the spindles n of a number of pairs of ed with a collar r engaged by the forked extremity s of a striking lever s which is fulcrumed at its upper end 8 upon an electr0- magnet structure t having a magnet winding a and an armature in the form of a divided core '0 4;. One portion '2) of this core is held by a set screw '0 and adjustable axially within the magnet structure, and the other portion '0' is pivotally connected by a pin c to the striking fork 8; the energization of the magnet 14 will therefore act to withdraw the clutch cone 0 against the pressure of. the spring d.

The proportions of the sun-gears p and planet pinions o 0 are so selected that with the friction clutch 0 e disengaged and the brake drum 7 held against rotation, the movement of the intermediate shaft Z) and its spider m produces a slow forward motion of the driven shaft g, the two sun-gears and each pair of planet pinions differing for example by one tooth. The direct drive of the driven shaft 9 is obtained at the full speed of the motor hi and intermediate shaft 6, when the friction clutch c e is re- ..gaged and the brake f 1 released, on the other hand, the driven shaft 9 will be brought rapidly to rest by the re-enagement of the friction clutch 0 6, when the electromagnet i is ale-energized, that is, while the brake drum 7 is held against rotation.

The shaft 9 is connected through worm reducing gear enclosed in the housing 10 to the sheave a: from which the cables pass to the car and counter-weight in the well known manner.

Figure 4 illustrates the car 10 provided with a levelling switch 11 which controls the slow s eed movement of the car by electromagnetic operation of the brake and clutch members. The switch 11 is actuated, for example, by means of oppositely directed ramps 12 above and below the different landing levels, a levelling switch magnet 13 being provided if desired to hold the switch tappet arms 14: or the like clear of the ramps 12 at the landings which the car is to pass without stopping.

The moment of the change-over to slow speed is predetermined by the setting of the swichcs of the floor controller 15, either by adjusting them to open circuit and allow the slow speed to he established just previous to the car coming level with the landing under extreme conditions of loading i. c. with the empty car ascending or the fully loaded car descending, or by setting the switches to give this result with the average load in the car.

Figure represents the position of the various parts when the car is stationary at the second floor level. For the purpose of description, it is proposed to trace the path of the current during the period in which the car is moving to a desired door and automatically brought to rest level with that floor by means of the levelling device and clutch mechanism, the construction and operation of which have already been described.

On a passenger entering the car, the floorswitch 16 is operated so that its bridge-bar 17 opens the circuit of the upper contacts controlling the landing push-buttons, and closes that of the lower ones; thus directly the landing gate is closed, current at once flows from the positive main through main switch 18 and fuse 19, by wire 70, through fuse 20, by wire 71, through landing gate contacts 21, all of which are in se rice and now closed, by wire 72, by wire 73, through the lower contact 74 of switch 16, by wire 75, through coil 25 of the first push control car-hold magnet, by wire 76, through coil 25 of the second push control carhold magnet, by wire 77, by wire 78, by wire 79, through fuse 29 and switch 18 to the minus line. Y

The operation of the push control car-hold magnets 25 and 25' closes two switches and opens two others. One of the closed switches, the contact 31 of the first push control carhold magnet, provides a path in parallel with the closed contact 74. of the car floor switch 16 as follows; by wire 73, by wire 7 2, by wire 80, through contact 31 of the first push control car-hold magnet, by wire 75. its a result of this parallel circuit, the push control car-hold magnets continue to function even should the occupant of the car remove his weight accidentally or intentionally from the movable floor and so open the lower contact H of the car floor switch 16. The second closed switch the contact 32 of the second push control carhold magnet, prepares the path for operating 7 the lift from the car pushes. The opened switch 33 of the first push control car-hold magnet breaks a circuit in parallel with the car gate switch 34, so that the latter now controls the operating circuit. This parallel circuit is from one side of gate contact 34, by wire 81, through contact of the first push control car-hold magnet, by wire 82, by wire 83, by wire 84 t0 the other side of the gate contact. The opened switch 35 of the second push control car-hold magnet causes a further break in the circuit to the landing pushes 36, so that while the car is occupied these are cut out of operation.

The occupant of the car, having now also closed the car gate, presses the car push button 37 corresponding to the floor to which it is desired to travel, for example, the third iloor. The circuit is then complete through the coil of the floor magnet for the third floor and the coil of the axuiliary levelling switch as follows; from the plus supply line, through switch 18 and fuse 19, by wire 70, through fuse 20, by wire 71, through landing th rough minus line. of the levelling switch results in the tappetr gate contacts 121, by wire 72, through stop button 24 and gate contact 34 in the car, by wire 84, by wire 83, through contact 38 of the non-interference switch, by wire 85, by wire 86, through contact 32 of the second push control car-hold magnet, by wire 87, by -wire88, through push 37, b wire 3, through coil 42 of the floor switch or the third floor,by wire 89, through coil 39 of the auxiliary levelling switch magnet, by wire 90, through fuse 40, b wire 78, by wire 79, through fuse 29 an switch 18 to the minus line. Y

The closing of the contact 43 of the floor switch for the third floor, com letes the circuit for the up reversingswi'tc coil and the non-interference switch coil as .follows; from the plus supply line, throu h switch 18 and fuse 19, by wire 70,Ithroug fuse 20,

by wire 71, through landing gate contacts gate contact 34 in the car, by wire 84, by

wire 91, through coi1'41of the non-inter ference switch, by wire 92, through coil 45 of the u reversing switch 47, by wire 93', ack contact 94 of down reversing switch 48, by wire 95, through contact; 96

of floor controller 15, by wire 97,.through contact 43 of floor switch for the third floor,

by wire 3, through coil 42 of thels amefloor switch, by wire 89, through coil 390i the auxiliary levelling switch magnet, 'by wire 90, through fuse 40, bywire 78, by wire 79, through fuse 29 and switch 18 to the minus line. The completion of thislatter circuit insures that the circuit; through the floorlevelling magnet, coil and the" auxilia'r switch magnet coil is maintained, after pressure on the car push button is released,

until the floor magnet coil circuit is opened by the floor controller switch.

The energizati'on of the coil 39' of the 'auxiliay levelling switch by the'closing of car push 37 insures that this switch is oper-- ated concurrently with the lift. The closed contact of this switch completes the circuit for the coil 13 of the leveling SWliiCh' 11 as" follows; from the plus supply line, through switch 18 and fuse 19, byw1re'70, through use 20, by wire 71, through landing ate:

contacts 21, by wire 72, through'stop ut ton 24 and gate contact 34 in the car, by wire 84, through contact 98 of auxiliary levelling switch, b wire 99, throu h coil 13 of leveling switc 11, by wire 100, y wire 79,, through fuse 29 and switch 18 to the The energization of the coil arms 14 being held clear of the ramps 12 at the landings which the car is to pass" without stop ing. The opened contactof the auxiliary evelling switch breaks the circuit throng the contacts, of the levelling switch and the coils 44 and 44" of the levelling magnets, thereby insuring that the levelling lows; 1' switch 18 and fuse 19, by wire 70, through 21, by wire 72, through stop button 24Jand up reversin '18 and fuse 19, by wire 104, throu h tact 105 of up reversing switch 47, %y

fied. Let it be assumed that all landing gates, but not necessarily the car gate, are closed. As the car is unoccupied, the push control car-hold magnets are not energized and their various contacts will therefore be in the positions indicated on the diagram.

When the intending user of the elevator presses the call push atthe landing, in this case the third floor, the circuit through the coils of the floor magnet and auxiliary switch magnet is com leted as folcm the plus supply ine, through fl1S6'20, by wire 71, through landing gate contact 21, by wire 72, throu h stop button 24 on car,'by wire 81, throng contact 33 of the first push control car-hold magnet, by wire 82 (it being assumed that the car gate has not" been closed by the previous pas- 'senger when alighting), through the contact 38 of the non-interference switch, by wire 85, through. contacts 35 of the second push control car-hold ma at, by wire 101, through contact 102 o car floor switch 16, by wire 103, through push button 36 at the third floor landing, by awire 3, thence through the coils of the floor switch for the third floor and the auxiliary levelling switch to the minus line as previously traced; The circuit through the coils of the switch, the upper contacts of which become closed and t e lower contacts open. The

closing of two'of the upper contacts makes circuit for the armature of the motor as follows; from the plus line, through switch.

conwire 106, by wire 107, through hold-downcoil 46' of down reversing switch 48, by wire 108, through back contact 109 of down re versing switch 48, by wire 110, by wire 111,

through motor armature 55, by wire 112,

through contact 113 of up reversing switch v switch and the non-interfer .euee switch is the same as previously traced. pThe coil '45 of the up reversing switch 47 47', by wire 114, by wire 115, through u per contacts 53 of the accelerating switc y through series field 54, by wire 78, by wire 79, through fuse 29 and switch 18 to the minus line. v

f In conjunction with the above, the clos ing of, the; upper contacts of reversing switch 47 completes the circuit for the coil of the accelerating switch'as follows;

wire 116, through starting resistance 52,

from the plus line, through switch 18 and fuse 19, by wire 104, through contact 105 of up reversing switch 47, by wire 117, through contact 118 of up reversing switch 47, by wire 119, through coil 61 of accelerating switch, by wire 120 to a point 121 on the starting resistance 52, and thence through resistance 52 and series field 54 to the minus line as previously traced. The accelerating switch magnet coil 61 having thus become energized, causes the contacts of the accelerating switch to close consecutively, thereby cutting the starting resistance 52 out of the armature circuit in steps, and also cutting out of operation the series field 54, which is not required for running the motor at ordinary full speed after the machine has started.

The closing of the upper contacts of reversing switch 47 also completes the circuit for the shunt field of the motor as follows; from the plus line, through switch 18 and fuse 19, by wire 104, through contact 105, by wire 106, through part of resistance 51, by wire 122, by wire 123, through shunt field 56, by wire 124, by wire 78, by wire 79, through fuse 29 and switch 18 to the minus line. At the same time the coil of the brake magnet is energized as follows; from the plus line, through switch 18 and fuse 19, by wire 104, through contact 105 of up reversing switch 47, by wire 106, through part of resistance 51, by wire 122, by wire 123, through contact 125 of up reversing switch 47, by wire 126, through contact 127 of the up levelling magnet, by wire 128, through contact 129 of the down levelling magnet, by wire 130, through coil 2' of the brake magnet, by wire *131, by wire 78, by wire 79, through fuse 29 and switch 18 to the minus line. The energization of the brake magnet results in the brake shoes 9 being released from the brake pulley f.

Before tracing the path of the current for the circuits of the levelling device and clutch magnet it is necessary to describe the opera tion and function of the levelling switch 11, the levelling switch magnet 13, and the auxiliary levelling switch magnet 39 shown on the diagram. The levelling switch 11 is shown in Figure 4 as fixedon top of the car, and is provided with means such as ta pet arms 14 which when the car is within a s iort and predetermined distance above or below any floor, can engage with suitably shaped ramps or strikers 12 fixed in the elevator shaft in such a manner as to cause the up contacts of the switch 11 to be closed while the car is aproaching a floor in an upward direction, or the down contacts while approaching in a downward one, provided the said floor is the one at which it is intended that the car shall stop. When, however, the

car is in exact registration with the landing, as seen in the case of the car standing at the second floor in Figure 4, the ramps 12 operate on the levellin switch ta ppet arms 14 so that both the up and down contacts are opened. The'floor controller con tacts for the respective floors are set to open circuit at a convenient point as the car approaches a floor and enters that part of its travel where the levelling switch 11 can be governed by the ramps 12 of the floor concerned. Directly the floor controller contact in use is opened, the auxiliary levelling switch magnet 39 is de-energized, in turn opening the circuit of the levelling switch magnet 13 and allowing the ramps of the said floor to engage with the tappet arms 14 of the levelling switch. The levelling device now has charge of the lift and will bring the car to rest level with the desired floor.

Assuming that the car is travelling in the upward direction and that the up contacts of the levelling switch 11 are closed, the circuit for the coil of the up levellin magnet is asTollows; from the plus line, t rough switch 18 and fuse 19, by wire 70, through fuse 20, by wire 71, by wire 132, throu h contact 133 of auxiliary levelling switch, by

wire 134, through up contact 135 of levelling and the maintain circuit for the reversing.

switch.

The circuit for the clutch magnet coil is as follows; from the plus line, through switch 18 and fuse 19, by wire 70, by wire 138, through clutch magnet coil u, by wire 139, through contact 140 of up levelling magnet, by wire 141, by wire 78, by wire 79, throu h fuse 29 and switch 18 to the minus line. it the same time, the maintain circuit for the coil 45 of the up reversing switch 47 is completed as follows; from the plus line through the landing gate contacts, stop button, gate contact or floor switch in car, coil 41, coil 45, contact 94 of down reversing switch 48 as previously traced, then by wire 95, by wire 142, through contact 143' of the up levelling magnet, by wire 141, by wire 78, by wire 79, through fuse 29 and switch 18 to the minus line. When the car approaches the floor, contact 135 of levelling switch opens, thereby breaking the circuit for the coil 44 of up levelling magnet, which in turn is de-energized and opens the reversing controller 15.

switch and clutch ma l et coil circuits and the car stops level wit the floor.

Under the conditions obtaining with the circuits referred to in the description of the =levellin device, the speed of the car during its fina approach to the [loor at which it is intended to stop, will be very considerably reduced, the ratio between such reduced speed and the normal full speed being determined according to re uirements by the relation of the sun and p anet pinion gearing, a suitable ratio between such reduced and full speeds being from about 1 to 12 to about 1 to 20.

In the case of an elevator operated by automatic push button control as here described, the time of change over from normal control to reduced speed under the control of the levelling switch'll, is determined by the setting of the switches of the'floor Two methods of doing this are set forth below either of which may be selected according to the speeds of and gen eral service required from a particular elevator.

First: With empty car ascending and fully loaded one descending, the respective up and down switches of the floor controller are set to open circuit so that the levelling device has come into action and the car speed has been reduced to one pie-arranged rate just previous to car becoming level with the landlng floors. The actual point at which this occurs would be determined by trial when setting up any individual installation but generally speaking a distance of from one-half inch to one inch would probably be found suitable for most cases. The above-mentioned method of setting the floor controller switches should, for any conditions of loading between empty car and full load, slow down and bringthe lift car to rest in exact registration with the floors without first stopping the car and in most cases will doubtless be preferred.

Second: With the car carrying its average load, probably in most cases approximating to one half its full load, the floor controller switches are set as described above. This method might be preferred where the majority of loads carried by the car in both. directions approximate to half full load. but with this setting it will be found that on upward trips with light loads an empty car. and on downward ones with full or approximately full load, the car will in most cases run slightly past the floor at which it was intended to stop, being then automatically reversed and brought back level with the same by the action of the levelling switch 11.

The operation of the mechanism may be briefly described as followsz When the car is running at its normal speed, the brake magnet i is energized by parts rotate as one at the speed of the motor; under such conditions there should be no relative motion between the sun gears and the planetary pinions, and therefore the driven shaft 9 will rotate at the same speed as the motor shaft.

When however the levelling switch 11 on the car actuates one or other of its magnet switches, the clutch magnet u is energized and the brake magnet 71 de-energized; the clutch lever s will then withdraw the friction clutch o from engagement with the inner surface of brake drum f, while at the same time the brake shoes will be applied to the outer surface of the brake drum and will bring it to rest together with the pinion 7a to which it is attached by the sleeve or hub extension 9'. The planet-carrier disc m at the end of the intermediate shaft Z) together with its pinions 0 0 will however still rotate at the same speed as the motor, so that the planet pinions now revolving around the stationary sun gear is will impart to the second sun gear 30 and the shaft 9 of the driven member attached thereto a slow forward motion according to the ratios previously determined.

The final stopping of the lift car or equiv alent is effected by cutting ofl' current from the motor M. and brake magnet 2' and at the same time opening the circuit of the clutch magnet coil u, thus allowing the clutch to re-engage with the stationary brake drum and act as a final brake to bring the machine and car to rest. This stop is produced automatically in accordance with the above description, by the levelling switch 11 opening the circuit to the corresponding magnet 44 immediately before the car comes level with the landing. In the event of the car over-running the stopping point, for example through an overload in the descendin car, the levelling switch 1]. will be engage by the opposite ramp or striker, thus automatically reversing the motor and bringing the car back to the landing; since this return or correcting movement takes place at the reduced speed produced by the supplementary gearing, any variation of load will have little effect and an accurate stop will be made with practical certainty.

The cams or ramps provided at each landing for co-operating with the levelling switch determine an automatic stopping zone, within which the car passes under the control of the levelling switch, on the condition that the car is intended to stop at that landing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim'is:

1. In an elevator system having a driving motor and a hoisting drum; change speed mechanism interposed between said driving motor and hoisting drum, said mechanism comprising a clutch having a driving mem her and a driven member, a brake member for engaging said drum member, an electromagnet for controlling the engagement and disengagement of the driving and driven members of the clutch, and an additional electromagnet for controlling the application and release of said brake member.

2. In an elevator system having a driving motor and a hoisting drum; change speed mechanism interposed between said driving motor and hoisting drum, said mechanism comprising a clutch having a driving member and a driven member, means tending to maintain said members in engagement, an electromagnet adapted upon energization to cause the disengagement of said members, a brake member for said driven member,

means tending to maintain said brake member applied to said driven member, and a second electromagnet adapted upon energization to cause the release of'said brake member from said driven member, whereby upon the deenergization of both said electromagnets said driving member and brake member engage said driven member to bring said motor and drum to a stop.

3. In an elevator, a levelling device comprising a supplementary reducing gear included in the driving mechanism, clutch and brake members controlling said gear, electromagnetic means normally allowing the engagement of said clutch members to provide a solid drive through said reducing gear, other electroma netic means normally producing the release of said brake members, a levelling switch and means for operating said levelling switch within a predetermined stopping zone, said levelling switch controlling said clu ch and brake members through the respective electromagnetic means.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

THOMAS H. J. SIMMONS.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,595,124, granted August 10, 1926, upon the application of Thomas H. J. Simmons, of London, England, for an improvement in Elevators, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 31, for the misspelled word epicylic read epicg chc; same page, line 77, for the Word increases read releases; page 2, line 26, after released strike out the comma and insert a semicolon; same page, line 104, after the word switch, second occurrence, insert a comma; page 3, line 87, for the word contact read contacts; page 5, line 55, before the word an insert 01', and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oifice.

Signed and sealed this 16th day of November, A.

[sun] M. J. MOORE,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

